Israel to Redirect Billions to Military and Police by Cutting Other Ministries
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Israel's government plans to reallocate 2.6 billion shekels from various ministries, including education, health, and transport, to bolster defense and police funding. The decision, expected to be voted on October 18, involves a 5% "horizontal reduction" across agencies, with specific program cuts to be determined by ministry leadership. The funds are earmarked for military needs like ammunition and reservist support, and for police improvements and crime-fighting initiatives, without raising taxes.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel plans to cut 2.6 billion shekels from government ministries for defense and police.
- The budget cuts will affect ministries including transport, education, health, and social welfare.
- A 5% "horizontal reduction" mechanism will be applied across government agencies.
- Funds will support military needs such as ammunition and reservist families.
- Police funding will increase for improved conditions and crime-fighting efforts.
- The reallocation aims to avoid raising taxes.
The Israeli government is planning a significant reallocation of state funds, directing billions of shekels towards defense and police needs by cutting budgets across various ministries, including those for social services. Ministers are set to vote on Sunday, October 18, on reducing agency budgets by a total of 2.6 billion shekels. The government intends to implement a "horizontal reduction" mechanism, cutting each ministry's budget by a set percentage, with individual departments then deciding which programs to reduce. In this case, the overall cut will be 5% across multiple key government bodies.
The Ministry of Transport is expected to see the largest monetary reduction, with approximately 600 million shekels potentially diverted from future transport projects, though specific projects affected remain undisclosed. The Ministry of Education's budget will be reduced by 193 million shekels, the Ministry of Health by 129 million shekels, and the Ministry of Social Welfare by 90 million shekels. The final allocation of these cuts within each ministry will be determined by their respective leadership, and it is currently unclear which specific programs or public services will be impacted.
The primary objective of this budget maneuver is to secure additional funding for the military and law enforcement without increasing taxes. According to the plan, a 3% budget cut is designated for urgent defense needs, including support for reservist families, ammunition procurement, military modernization, and new defense research. An additional 2% cut will be allocated to strengthen the police force, aiming to improve service conditions, create new positions, and enhance crime-fighting efforts, with a particular focus on organized crime in the Arab sector and domestic offenses.
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